Proceedings of Learned Societies. 77 



insect, whilst in the larval state, with a peculiar food termed royal 

 jelly. The change, however, is always attended by an alteration in 

 the size and position of the cell holding the future queen, which is 

 enlarged and extended away from the plane of the comb, and in all 

 cases turned downwards so as to assume the perpendicular position. 

 The Rev. Mr. Leitch's experiments prove that the position of 

 the queen cell is not of importance, as he inverted it in some 

 cases, and in others placed it horizontally, but the queen was 

 developed with equal certainty. He suggested that the cause of 

 the more perfect development of the inclosed larva was due to 

 the increased temperature to which it was subjected, and that it was 

 drawn out from the other cells in order that it might be exposed on 

 all sides to the warmth generated by the respiration of the bees that 

 always cluster closely around the royal cell. At the present meeting 

 Mr. Smyth read a paper, from Mr. Woodbury, maintaining the older 

 theory, and stating that the transformation of any given worker egg 

 or young grub into a queen, could be determined by placing a small 

 amount of the food taken from a royal cell, and known as royal 

 jelly, on the edge of the worker cell. In reply it was alleged that 

 the food theory offered no explanation of the remarkable change of 

 position that always is made to accompany the transformation, and 

 the general opinion of the members present seemed to favour the 

 view that the more perfect development of a worker egg or grub into 

 a queen bee depended not upon one cause only, but was influenced by 

 the threefold conjoined causes of increased, and probably altered 

 food, enlarged size of cell, and greater elevation of temperature. 



THE ROYAL SOCIETY.— January 9. 



The Production of Sounds and Visible Vibrations by Voltaic 

 Currents. — Mr. Gore furnished the following particulars respecting 

 the production of vibrations and sounds by a voltaic current. 

 It is found that when a voltaic current of suitable intensity, is 

 passed by a mercury anode through a solution often grains of cyanide 

 of mercury, one hundred of hydrate of potash in two ounces and 

 three-quarters of hydrocyanic acid (containing five per cent, of the an- 

 hydrous acid), into an annular cathode of mercury, two or three inches 

 in diameter, and one-eighth of an inch wide, visible vibrations of the 

 negative mercury, accompanied by sounds, are produced ; and the 

 current, instead of being constant, becomes intermittent. If a voltaic 

 current, from about eight Smee's elements, with large surface, is em- 

 ployed, the vibrations are small, and the sounds produced are high 

 in musical pitch. If, however, another current of the same quantity 

 (as determined by a voltameter), but resulting from a greater number 

 (say twenty) elements of small surface, be employed, then the vibra- 

 tions are large and the pitch of the sounds low or bass. These dif- 

 ferences are still more conspicuous if a galvanometer of small resist- 

 ance, with a short thick wire, be employed instead of a voltameter, 

 and four Smee's cells be used instead of eight. If a current pro- 

 ceeding from two cells of a Grove's battery be passed through a 



